1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to needles used for sewing and quilting, and more particularly to a quilting needle which provides a viewable indicia to achieve smaller and more consistent stitch sizing.
2. Prior Art
The art of quilting involves stitching, sewing or covering with lines or patterns through multiple layers of cloth or fabric material between which a padding or batten is positioned to form an intermediate layer for added thickness, padding and warmth. Quilting needles are used to apply the hand stitching to achieve the finished product which is typically at least three layers of sandwiched batten layer surrounded on either side by a flexible fabric material of choice. These multi-layers are first basted together with large stitches and then quilt-stitched with much smaller and ideally uniformly sized stitches for achieving a finished, durable product.
The art of quilting is enhanced when many, if not all, of the quilting stitches are relatively small and uniform in size. A basting stitch might be on the order to xc2xcxe2x80x3 to xc2xdxe2x80x3 in length, whereas a small fine quality quilting stitch might be on the order of xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 or in the range of ten quilting stitches per inch.
Several variables associated with quilting affect the desired quality of uniform stitch size, including the size of the needle, the ability of the quilter to maintain stitch size and evenness, and the thickness of the batting layer. Because the batting or intermediate layer of the multi-layered substrate to be quilted comes in various thicknesses, the consistency of substrate compression during each stitch will affect the ultimate outcome of consistency.
A quilting tool invented by Johns and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,770 is there described which facilitates making stitches of uniform size and consistency. This quilting tool includes an elongated handle portion and a spoon-shaped portion which is utilized to form a small ridge in the fabric through which the quilting needle is easily passed.
Lampley, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,939 teaches a quilting or sewing guide in the form of a pattern or template positioned against both the reverse and obverse side of the multi-layer substrate and having aligned perforations through each of the templates through which the stitches are formed. Because the perforations are evenly spaced apart, the stitch consistency is achieved.
The following additional prior art devices are known to applicant which are, in some way, intended to facilitate the sewing or knitting process.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,925 to Burg
U.S. Pat. No. 2,378,544 to Fosse
U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,004 to Sloan
U.S. Pat. No. D413,431 to Allender
U.S. Pat. No. D404,907 to Vincente
U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,420 to Cheng
The present invention provides a uniquely permanently marked quilting needle utilized for hand basting and quilting of the multi-layer quilting substrate to achieve even stitch size regardless of the ability of the quilter, needle size or batting thickness. Permanent viewable indicia are applied along the length of the quilting needle at a specific distance from the needlepoint. By utilizing this marking or indicia, the quilter will consistently recognize the correct needle depth into or from the quilting substrate, at which point the needle is then pierced back through the substrate to complete the stitch or to start the next stitch. Multiple marks may be placed along the length of the needle body at specific desired distances from the point of the needle to allow the quilter to consistently implement more than one stitch size such as when basting the multi-layer quilt substrate together.
This invention is directed to a quilting needle for achieving substantially uniform stitches in a multi-layer fabric/batten quilting substrate. The needle is formed as an elongated straight slender needle body having an eyelet at one end thereof sized for receiving a quilting thread therethrough and a sharp quilting fabric piercing point at another end of the needle body. A viewable stitch size guide is permanently disposed on the needle body so as not to disrupt the smooth needle body surface and is positioned from the point a distance equal to a desired stitch size. Successive stitches formed into the substrate of uniform size or length when the needle body is consistently pierced through the substrate to a depth defined when said stitch size guide just touches or meets and aligns with an obverse surface of the substrate before piercing the point into a reverse surface of the substrate to complete each stitch.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a quilting needle which will facilitate accurate stitch size placement in a multi-layer quilting substrate.
It is another object of this invention to enhance the quilting stitch consistency of a quilter such as someone just beginning to develop such skills.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a quilting needle with viewable indicia disposed thereon which will facilitate the placement of more than one stitch length consistently into a multi-layer quilting substrate.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.